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HoofPrints Newsletter
April 3, 2014
Rob shoeing Rocky
ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTER
Farriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way the company became HoofPrints.com, too, adding a selection of fun horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month, depending on how often I have something to share. Watch for special sales, interesting stories, uplifting quotes and more.
APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

Get a FREE copy of the hardcover first edition with any order of $30 or more.
THE HORSE BOY is one heck of an interesting book, and ended up later an equally interesting documentary film.

Here's what the publisher says:
When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected? THE HORSE BOY is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia, the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story--of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time.

Note from Gina - Here's what I wrote a couple years ago after I read the book: "This one will leave you laughing and crying at the same time. Your heart will ache as you read the accounts of this young couple trying to deal with their autistic son - as he gets older, larger and less controllable. (I won't tell you what "CODE BROWN" stands for - you'll have to read to find out - but you can imagine...) And the author's insightful reflection on his wacky scheme to heal his son's autism via Mongolian Shamans will inspire you - that there is nothing that can't be accomplished if one is willing to take risks - and have a sense of humor along the way. To read a good synopsis about shamans and what they do, go here."

What I didn't have the nerve to mention then were some of the grittier events in the book that emphasize just how serious Rowan's parents were about this endeavor, and what a challenge it was for them along the way. The book was written by Rowan's father - author Rupert Isaacson, and subtitled "A Father's Quest to Heal His Son". But that does NOT mean that Rowan's mother did not have a very big role in the adventure. A tired mom at her wit's end, trying to juggle career and motherhood - she agreed to take the trip, even though it sounded like a far-fetched idea. Before they embarked on the journey, they met with renowned expert on autism Temple Grandin. Grandin's words to them were:
"The worst thing you can do is nothing. All the experts agree on that, even if they can't agree on much else. Take your son to Mongolia if it seems to agree with him. Make your film. Add it to the archive of what we're learning. Come back and let us know what happened."  

And let us know, they did. Consider this excerpt:
quotation mark left Then it was Kristin's turn to drink milk, say prayers, cast her milk as an offering to the west, crouch down for the antler thumps; both of us lined up to have vodka spat on us too.... Then a small bowl of vodka was proffered to Kristin, and Tulga (the translator) was suddenly listening intently as the shaman's assistant gabbled what was clearly a complicated set of instructions. Oddly, as he listened, I saw Tulga blush, cast a sidelong look at Kristin, blush again, and nod. Then, almost reluctantly, he turned to her and gave her the small, brimming bowl.
"Er... the shaman says that when you were pregnant, black energy entered your womb. You must take this vodka and cleanse the, um, parts where Rowan came down. The shaman says it is very important" Poor Kristin. Off she went to the river, Michel filming away. "Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing too personal ends up in frame," he said, grinning to himself. ... "And you had better Photoshop out my cellulite," I heard Kristin say as she and Michel marched out of earshot. At least her sense of humor hadn't failed her. Yet."

and this one from Rupert:
quotation mark left
In perfect response to the rising anxiety, I'd woken in the small hours racked with pain, not just in my lip but in my whole face... I'd never let a cold sore go this far without antiviral drugs before. Now the virus, loosed to it's full potential for the first time, was making a playground of my face. ... My whole lower lip had cracked open, all the way, in one big red sore."

So, here they are, this young couple with high hopes for helping their son, and wanting to share it with the world via film if it is a success... they pay someone to accompany them to film the journey. Kristin is ordered to clean her vagina with vodka, and Rupert ends up with an enormous sore on his lip that is impossible to conceal. These are just 2 of many, many "interesting" encounters the family experiences. They fall off horses, get kicked by horses, get sick, are whipped by shamans, and a host of other events that I am sure they did not expect. Without giving away the ending, I will say it is a good one. The film is very well done, and the questionable scenes are depicted in good taste. I recommend reading the book before watching the DVD, to get the full effect. Don't worry - it won't take long to read the book (even though it's 357 pages). Once you get started you won't be able to put it down.

To get your FREE copy, you MUST order $30 or more.
Also, you MUST click the ORDER button to add to your cart in order to receive.
To do that, click here
Offer good while supplies last

Temple Grandin & Horses
Author Temple Grandin speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.
"Some trainers swear rough handling is effective. But what's interesting about these trainers is that if you check out their horses, they're all big boned, low-fear horses who habituate fast to treatment that would crush a high strung animal. ... The rough trainers were all working with big, heavy horses, and they all think Arab horses are crazy. The gentle trainers were working with the fine-boned, nervous animals." 
~Quote by Temple Grandin from
Animals In Translation
Gina's note:
This book is one of my favorites. Temple Grandin's candid account of how she believes that animals perceive their world is a very good one and it explains a lot about why horses act the way they do in certain situations. One of my favorite analogies she uses (in the book) is this: Imagine that you lived somewhere where you saw people frequently walking down the sidewalk. And one day, you stepped outside your door and saw people walking down the sidewalk.... on their hands. You'd probably freak out (I know I would). This is the type of situation that arises when a horse spooks at a perfectly familiar item - in a context that is unfamiliar. The book and movie are full of thought provoking theories like this - that can really help us understand, and empathize, with our animal friends when they do things that don't make sense.
To order the book and DVD click here

Clean Up CLOSEUP
Clutter busting continues at HoofPrints
My efforts to clear the warehouse (and my house- house) of accumulated oddball products continues to gain momentum. I've written about it before. The point continues to be, sometimes the space becomes more valuable than the items that are occupying it. So this is where most places say... "our loss is your gain!" Well, check out this super-cheap stuff and BUY IT. And your gain will be my gain, too. Because I need that space on the shelf.

The Half Price Page is here - check this often as they're one-of-a-kind things that will sell quickly and be replaced with whatever else starts to get on my nerves. I am currently going through a large stash of samples* - so many wonderful things, it's hard to choose just a handful for the catalog. And the rest have got to go! Only one of each available so act fast if you see something you like.

*A note about the samples - Someone made a comment on the HoofPrints Facebook page that the samples are free to me and implied should thus be priced accordingly. Just to set the record straight - I pay for almost every sample I acquire. Occasionally an author or publisher will send me a book unsolicited, but I prefer to buy these anonymously so if I review and don't think it is a good fit for the product line, I don't feel guilty about not including it.

Half Price PRINTS are here - there are a lot of lovely prints languishing in drawers here that really should be hanging on folks' walls making them smile and beautifying their homes. Fall/winter is busy season here and I don't encourage print sales then - I don't have the extra time it takes to wrap these carefully for safe delivery. Now that Christmas is past, I've marked them way down now to sweeten the deal.

ALSO New is Half Price JEWELRY here 
The more I got to digging, the more I found. Jewelry doesn't take up much room - suffice to say there is a LOT of lovely stuff that needs to find a new home. Then there's that whole problem I have with the beads. It's getting worse. Stay tuned for details on that.

Newest is Half Price Books & Magazine Back Issues here 
This represents a major turning point for HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling. This treasure trove of magazine back issues has been lovingly collected and hoarded for many, many years. It's getting to be a space problem, keeping them all stored AND due to the sheer volume of them, along with my busy schedule, they rarely get any attention. But even now, as I go through them to write sales descriptions, I am feeling sad at the prospect of letting go of this vast collection of pictures and articles about all the things I love - Horses, Dogs, Farriery and Blacksmithing, The West, Pretty Western Clothes and Jewelry, Awesome Country Homes, Recipes for Hearty Food, Healthy Living, Spirituality and more. I'll do my best to mention the content that stands out to me in the descriptions. Prices on these back issues reflect the fact that I am still very much in love with them, however they are at or below what the publishers are charging. The current sales list is small, but I'll be adding more as I am able; going through these is a slow process, as you can imagine, I get sidetracked frequently by all the fascinating content that lead me to hoard these in the first place. 

The Closeouts Page is here
It features items that are being phased out - still lots of good deals to be had there, too.
In This Issue
FREE Horse Boy Book
Temple Grandin Quote
Clutter busting continues
Here's what we talked about last time
What Did I Miss? graphic
Last newsletter is  here   
ALL newsletters are here
American Farriers Journal Supplies & Services Directory 1�

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Shipping charges apply.
To order click here
Copper HoofPrint Bracelets in 7 colors!
Copper HoofPrint Pony Bead Bracelets - colors
Hand tied right here at HoofPrints - see them all here
Horsewoman's
LONG TALL LIST
Long Tall List of Things To Do
OF THINGS TO DO here
3rd in the Series!

I Make Horse Calls, More Horse Calls & Call Dr Tebow - She Makes Horse Calls (new) Books about living a dream with horses here
Mule & Donkey items
Donkey Charm
Check out this brass longear charm and more here
FREEBIE!
Ironclad Beanie Cap with every pair of
TUFF CHIX GLOVES

"Best. Gloves. Ever!" ~HoofPrints customer testimonial. More info here
Stay Warm with a VEST

Read how/why here
Order here
This Hug's For You

Equine Sympathy Cards here
HoofPrints
BARN BLADE
Barn Blade Pink Knife
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly
Order here
Message

I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at [email protected]
 
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Viral marketing... it sounds bad, doesn't it?
You can ask my husband - a frequent topic around here is that of forwarded emails - and the psychology behind them - just WHAT prompts people to decide; "I am going to send this to everyone I know!".


We receive a lot of them. Some are pretty good, and others are dumb. Dumb in a myriad of ways...  Alarmist email rumors that have been around forever - that folks keep sending "just in case it's true" Pictures of someone's butt (or worse) - don't even get me started about the firecracker butt - but at least that one was timely when it showed up around July 4. Christian messages that are uplifting - until you get to the end and you're threatened "if you're not ashamed that you love Jesus, forward this - if you are, then delete." Pictures of cute puppies and kittens (awww)

I enjoy writing these newsletters - and sharing all this stuff with you all. But the fact is, it's also a way to help us stay connected with customers and sell products during the time between catalog mailings (which is only once a year) So I really, really like it when someone new stumbles upon the newsletter and is excited to "discover" our company and the products we offer.

In all my efforts to make the newsletter interesting and forward-worthy - it never occurred to me to JUST ASK you all to send it! Duh. Sometimes the obvious is elusive, I guess. So here goes - my request to ask you to forward our email newsletter to your horsey friends.  All we ask is that you please be judicious and only send to folks who might be interested. Otherwise we are no better than the "firecracker butt". Click to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)